leamn.1
/liːm/, U.S. /lim/, Scottish English /lim/ Now Scottish and northern dialect.
Light, flame; a flash, ray, or gleam of light; brightness, gleam. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > light emitted in particular manner > [noun] > flash
leamOE
flash1566
lambency1817
burst1854
flip1881
OE Beowulf 1517 Fyrleoht geseah, blacne leoman beorhte scinan.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 77 He him alse þe sunne streonþ þe lome þet ho spret in to al þis wide worlde.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 107 Leomene fader we clepeð ure drihten for þan þe he sunne atend.
a1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 183 Ihesu mi leof, mi lif, mi leome.
1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 3180 Out of þe dragons mouþe tueye leomes þer stode þere.
c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 1861 Were þou he by þys leem sone þow scholdest dye.
1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Rolls) VII. 279 Of þe welle of þat place he hadde þe leme of byleve [L. credendi flammam].
1388 Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) Pref. Epist. Jerome vi Now newe kyn cometh fre, from an hiȝ, fro heuinli lewmes.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 17344 Ne nankins leme [c1460 Laud lym] o dais light.
c1400 St. Alexius (Laud 463) 439 Out of his mouþ þer stoed a leom.
c1450 Mirour Saluacioun 1096 A sterne of fulle grete leeme.
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xi. 191 All the felde ves in ane leyme [1489 Adv. leme] Vith baneris richt freschly flawmand.
1508 Golagros & Gawane (Chepman & Myllar) sig. dii* With grete lightis on loft yt gaif grete leime.
a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 163 All the hous illumynit of hir lemys.
1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour i. i. sig. Aijv A bright leme of a torche.
1576 A. Fleming tr. Isocrates in Panoplie Epist. 172 Glorious with the leames of learning.
1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xl. lviii. 1094 Blasted with leames of lightning that dazzeled their eie-sight.
1668 Bp. J. Wilkins Ess. Real Char. ii. iii. §1. 57 Flame, Blaze, Coruscation, Flash, Leam, Lightfire.
1724 A. Ramsay Wyfe of Auchtermuchty x The leam up throu the lum did flow.
1813 J. Hogg Queen's Wake ii. xiii. 177 When the ingle lowed with an eiry leme.
1895 S. R. Crockett Men of Moss-hags 160 The flickering leme of pale lightning.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
leamn.2
/liːm/ dialect.
A drain or watercourse in fen districts.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > rivers and streams > stream > [noun] > watercourse or channel
runeOE
sitchOE
pipeOE
sichetc1133
guttera1300
siket1300
sikec1330
watergate1368
gole?a1400
gotea1400
flout14..
aa1430
trough1513
guta1552
race1570
lode1572
canala1576
ditch1589
trink1592
leam1601
dike1616
runlet1630
stell1651
nullah1656
course1665
drain1700
lade1706
droke1772
regimen1797
draught1807
adit1808
sluit1818
thalweg1831
runway1874
1601 F. Godwin Catal. Bishops of Eng. 221 Ye new leame that he [Bp. Morton] caused to be made for more conuenient cariage to his towne..many complaine that the course of the riuer Nene into the sea by Clowcrosse is very much hindred thereby.
1646 G. Buck Hist. Life Richard III 53 Doctor Morton for his private commodity..brought certain Leames or bigger ditches to his owne grounds about Wisbitch.
1861 S. Smiles Lives Engineers I. 67 Many droves, leams, eaus, and drains were cut.
1881 Times 13 Jan. 9/4 The existing ‘cuts’ or ‘leams’ cease to fulfil their functions..by a gradual alteration in their own beds.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online June 2018).
leamn.3
dialect.
The husk of a nut.
ΚΠ
1854 A. E. Baker Gloss. Northants. Words I. 397 ‘Will you buy them in, or out of the limbs’ is a frequent inquiry in our nut-market.
1902 N.E.D. at Leam Mod. (Northants.) The boy stained his fingers with walnut leams.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online March 2021).
leamv.1
/liːm/, U.S. /lim/, Scottish English /lim/ Now Scottish and northern dialect.
intransitive. To shine, gleam; to light up.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > light emitted in particular manner > [verb (intransitive)] > gleam, glimmer, or flicker
shimmera1100
blenk1303
leamc1330
blysnec1400
glimmerc1400
glimpsec1400
glintc1440
glim1481
lemyrea1500
glimster1565
glance1568
flicker1608
simper1633
gloat1644
gleen1662
shimper1674
blink1786
skimmer1788
flash1791
sheen1812
glinter1851
flimmer1880
c1330 King of Tars 162 Alle the feldes feor and neer Of helmes leomede lihte.
a1350 in G. L. Brook Harley Lyrics (1968) 49 Hire lure lumes liht ase a launterne anyht.
a1350 in G. L. Brook Harley Lyrics (1968) 31 Ase iaspe þe gentil þat lemeþ wiþ lyht.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 8197 On þe morn, quen dai suld lem.
c1475 (?c1425) Avowing of King Arthur (1984) l. 1024 Þere come fliand a gunne, And lemet as þe leuyn.
1535 W. Stewart tr. H. Boethius Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) III. 232 With birneis bricht, Lyke ony lanterne lemit all of licht.
c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 699 A triet Image..of true golde..With light that was louely lemyng þer-in.
1572 (a1500) Taill of Rauf Coilȝear (1882) 326 The lyft lemit vp beliue, and licht was the day.
1574 J. Higgins 1st Pt. Mirour for Magistrates Elstride f. 25v And when shee spake, hir eyes did leame as fire.
17.. Dame Oliphant xxiv, in F. J. Child Eng. & Sc. Pop. Ballads (1886) II. iv. 410/1 He carried the match in his pocket That kindled to her the fire..That leamd oer Lincolnshire.
1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shepherdess 55 Now by this time the sun begins to leam.
a1878 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage to Land of Burns & Poems (1892) 240 There leem'd a light frae yon high tower.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
leamv.2
dialect.
a. transitive. To free nuts from their husks.
ΚΠ
1788 W. Marshall Provincialisms E. Yorks. in Rural Econ. Yorks. II. 339 To Leem, to furnish the rock of the spinning-wheel with line.
1824 J. Mactaggart Sc. Gallovidian Encycl. at Benjie The wud sae gay, whar mony a day I leamed nits wi' thee.
1902 N.E.D. at Leam Mod. (Northants), He has been leaming walnuts for the gardener.
b. intransitive. Of nuts: To separate easily from the husk.
ΚΠ
1846 W. E. Brockett J. T. Brockett's Gloss. North Country Words (ed. 3) It leams well.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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n.1OE
n.21601n.31854v.1c1330v.21788